Rudy Giuliani: A Surprise Choice of Evangelical Christians

In what must be a surprise to many political observers, former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani, appears to be the Presidential choice for many on the Religious Right and among evangelical Christians. According to a recent article in The American Conservative, Giuliani, a candidate for the Republican Presidential nomination, enjoys great popularity among evangelicals, especially in critical states like Florida.

Giuliani's popularity is surprising because it has been felt that his marital problems (two divorces) and his stand on abortion and gay rights, and his support for amnesty for illegal immigrants would have alienated many from the conservative Christian community. Two other publications, The Baptist Standard and The Washington Post, according to American Conservative, had previously noted Giuliani's standing among evangelicals.

The American Conservative, in its article, refers to Quinnipiac polls that show that Giuliani's Christian support comes from "white Evangelical voters." According to American Conservative, Giuliani had an 11 point lead over Arizona Senator John McCain, even though McCain's stands on controversial social issues would seem to endear him to religious conservatives. Not so.

Why, then, is Giuliani so popular among Christians? American Conservative cites journalists such as Cal Thomas, Richard Brookhiser, and other conservatives, who point to Giuliani's stands on national security and the fight against terrorism as being more important than the social issues. Thomas, quoted by American Conservative, sees the shift in emphasis on the part of evangelicals as a "maturing."

Despite his lead among conservative Christians, American Conservative says there are questions about Giuliani's abilities. On the one hand, he has no experience in dealing with terrorists. While everyone admits that crime declined in New York City during his administration, that decline was not unique to New York City. On the other hand, there is the gap between Giuliani's promises and Giuliani's performances. He has promised, if elected President, to nominate "strict-constructionist judges to the federal courts," but, as Mayor, his appointments to New York's courts were consistently liberal judges.

For the present, however, Giuliani has the support of the conservative evangelical press and its stress on the big picture--the world, not just the United States. As Cal Thomas has said recently, quoted by American Conservative, "Character is seen as less important than who can face the multiple challenges facing the nation," by which Thomas means international terrorism.

Sources:

amconmag.com/2007/2007_06_04/article2.html
www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1848306/posts